The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-01-04
PALATKA. FLA, JAN. A, 1887.
The Orange Glut.

the orange uIut.
The articles contributed by prominent
members of the Florida Fruit Exchange
have been carefully considered by our
readers, and will be followed by others
equally interesting. There has been no
question with us as to the honesty and
responsibility OF the gentlemen, but
only of the adaptability of the means
adopted to the end proposed. One OF
the complaint, urged by Mr. Greenleaf
is that the fruit ia not sufficiently ICON
centrated;" the per cent Of the whole
now handled by the Exchange is too
large, as shown by the following from
the general manager:
"WelI," said Capt. Ives, IN response
to INQUIRIES, Il think that there are too
many oranges going in at present. am
satisfied that the prices would be very
much better il the growers would hold
off a week or ten days. and give the
market chance to clean up, especially
New York and Chicago. These being
overstocked naturally depress prices at
other points tributary to Them"
care you sending very much fruit for
ward now?'
1900 to 1000 crates per day, and sent
out to-day about 800 crates, which Is
altogether too much to be going by all
sources with the markets in the condi-
ton tina they are at present"
Now IL seems to us that these words OF
MIR. Ives should be conclusive as to the
ability Of the Exchange to handle our
whole crop. 1t must get nearer the con-
sumner and look out for wider markets
as the crop increases. This they have
not done in the past.
The real trouble with the orange
grower is not the climate, nor the mid
die man, nor the transportation charges,
al is ignorance of has business. A man
with barely enough capital to provide
food for his family out of the profits of
his grove, will enter int speculation
more recklessly than Wall street bro
ker. In November he can figure hand
some profit from his oranges at the pri-
ces then ruling; his harvest is ready and
his business as grower is done. But he
enters into speculation at once, he be-
comes a merchant without knowledge
throw and decides to hold till March. IL
he loses, it is not because the soil 10 poor,
the climate unsuitable or orange grow
ing III profitable; it is because he took
risks not justified by his means, his
knowledge or his situation. 1t has been
proved conclusiveIy that the best
oranges in the world can he grown
in Florida. The climate allows us to fur
nish our large cities with the earliest
vegetables. Our State Is one vast santa
rum. No more is needed to make us
rich and powerful if we turn these ad-
vantages to account. The proper use OF
our advantages rests with our people.
IL we cannot avail ourselves Of these we
shall be replaced by others in a short
time, and Florida will suffer only tempo
rarily by our enforced absence.
These things being true, we must
look to our uses of our opportunities, and
here the case is applicable to the presen,
management Of the Fruit Exchange. II
has done much for us-it will do more
but its very organization and principle Of
action prevents it from doing all. Th'
true policy is one which will widen tn,
consumption of our products, bring thu
consumer nearer to the grower, and pro
tect us from the visitation of the frost
which come to us as the floods do to th'
sugar planters. We have asked repeat
eddy how the Exchange proposes to serv'
us here, and have as yet obtained no salts
factory answer. They now avow thei
inability to handle part when the!
have urged and demanded that the who'll
be confided to them.